Multiple tube pump



June 23, 1964 KLING ETAL 3,138,111

MULTIPLE TUBE PUMP Filed Nov. 21, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTORS lYascw G. KL/NG' Eovwo Gomez.

June 23, 1964 N. G. KLING ETAL 3,138,111

MULTIPLE TUBE PUMP Filed Nov. 21, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS NsLso/y G. Ku/YG BY fDh/AQD GOMEZ fin CmL United States Patent "Office 3,138,111 Patented June 23, 1964 3,138,111 MULTIPLE TUBE PUMP Nelson G. Kling, Ringwood, N.J., and Edward Gomez,

Astoria, N .Y., assignors to Technicon Instruments Corporation, Chauncey, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 239,253 Claims. (Cl. 103-149) The present invention relates to multiple tube pumps and, more particularly, to compressible tube pumps of Pursuant to the present invention, provision is made for transmitting to tubes a pressure of the tube compressing rollers 22 which engage the tubes lllb to compress the tubes 10a. As here shown, said means comprises the general type'shown by US. Patent No. 2,935,028 and by the U8. application of Jack Isreeli, Ser. No. 168,140, filed in the United States Patent Oflice January 25, 1962, said patent and said application being owned by the assignee of the present application.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a compressible tube pump with means for the arrangement of a plurality of the tubes in each of a plurality of layers together with means disposed between the tubes in the difierent layers for transmitting to the tubes of one of said layers the pressure applied to the tubes of another of said layers for compressing the tubes of said one of said layers when the tubes of another of said layers are compressed.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of tne invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

Inthedrawings: v.

FIG. 1 is a side view, in elevation, of the pump, with parts omitted for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the pump with the pressure rollers and some other parts of the pump omitted for the purposes of illustration;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, on 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of parts of the pump showing, in full lines, the means for transmitting the pressure of the rollers to the pump tubes in one of the layers and showing, in broken lines, the position of said means in relation to a tube holder and the tubes which as shown by FIG. 1 are engaged by the pressure rollers; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of parts of the pump showing one of the tube holding members and the pressure applying means as well as parts of the tubes of one layer and tubes of the other layer.

As shown by the drawings the pump comprises a platen 10 which provides a support for a plurality of resiliently compressible tubes which are arranged in side-by-side relation in different layers, the tubes in one of said layers being indicated at 100 and the tubes of another ofsaid layers being indicated at 1011. Tubes 10a and 10b are provided with collars or enlargements 12 which are fixed thereto at points spaced longitudinally of the companion tube for engagement with the adjacent faces respectively of the tube holding blocks 14 when the tubes are positioned in the grooves 16 of said blocks. Said blocks are removably secured to the platen 10 by pins 18 which are secured to said platen and project through openings 20 in said blocks adjacent the opposite ends thereof, as described in the above mentioned patent application. The tubes 10a and 1% are in taut condition longitudinally thereof when mounted in the grooves of the end blocks 14 with the collars 12 engaged with said blocks and the latter positioned on the platen 10 by pins 18. As here shown, the grooves 16 for one layer of tubes are in alignment with the corresponding grooves 16 for the other layer of tubes, but it will be understood that the grooves of one set may be laterally offset from the grooves of the other set, if so desired, as described in said patent application Ser. No. 168,140.

a thin and flexible metal plate or sheet 24. As a nonlimitative example, said plate 24 is made of stainless steel which has a thickness of about .005 of one inch and has a spring temper. Said plate is provided at one end thereof with an opening 26 in which the block 14 at the" upstream end of the tubes is received for holding said plate against movement longitudinally of the pump tubes toward the opposite end block during movement of the pressure rollers 22 from right to left viewing FIG. 1 by the endless conveyor 28. In this connection, it will be understood that the shoulders 30 at the opening 26 at plate 24 engage the outer face of the up-stream block 14 as illustrated in FIG. 6 to prevent said longitudinal movement of plate 24. The recessed part 31 beyond shoulders 30 provide spaces for the collars 12. Said plate is provided at its downstream end with transverse depending portions 32 which engage the opposite side edges of the platen 10 and which together with the side edges 34 of the plate at the opening 26 prevent movement of said plate transversely of the platen.

It will be understood that during the movement of the pressure rollers 22 progressively along the lengths of the tubes 10b for the pumping liquid or other fluid through said tubes pressure of said rollers 22 on tubes 10b is concomitantly transmitted by plate 24 to the tubes 10a progressively along their length for the pumping operation. Side rails 36 are disposed at the opposite side edges of the platen 10 for limiting the pressure of the rollers 22 on the tubes 10a and 10b so that said tubes are not compressed more than is necessary to completely close said tube under the pressure of rollers 22, so as to prevent damage to the tubes. As here shown there are two side rails 36 at each side edge of the platen 10 so that each upper side rail can be removed if the pump is operated with a single layer of tubes, namely the tubes 10a, in which case plate 24 need not be used and said tubes 10a can be compressed by directed engagement of the rollers 22 therewith as described in the above mentioned patent. Also it will be understood that instead of utilizing two side rails at each side edge of the platen, when the pump is operated with two layers of tubes, a single side rail of twice the thickness of side rails 36 may be employed, one at each side edge of the platen. The side rails 36 are provided with openings 38 adjacent their opposite ends for engagement with the pins 18 under the end blocks 14 to hold said side rails in position on the platen.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, and that certain changes in the form and arrangement of parts and in the specific manner of practicing the invention may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

l. A multiple tube fluid pump comprising, a support,,

a plurality of resiliently compressible tubes positioned in side by side relation on said support, pressure rollers operable to compress said tubes progressively along their lengths for the pumping operation, means for positioning a plurality of said tubes in said side by side relation in each of a plurality of layers, and means adapted to be interposed between said layers of tubes and extending longitudinally and laterally thereof whereby pressure applied by said rollers on said tubes of one of said layers in the pumping operation is transmitted to said interposed means for applying pressure to the tubes of said other layers for the pumping operation of fluid through said last mentioned tubes.

2. A multiple tube fluid pump comprising, a support, a plurality of resiliently compressible tubes positioned in side by side relation on said support, pressure rollers operable to compress said tubes progressively along their lengths for the pumping operation, means for positioning a plurality of said tubes in said side by side relation in each of a plurality of layers, and means comprising a flexible plate adapted to be interposed between said layers of tubes and extending longitudinally and laterally thereof whereby pressure applied by said rollers on said tubes of one of said layers in the pumping operation is transmitted to said interposed means for applying pressure to the tubes of said other layers for the pumping operation of fluid through said last mentioned tubes.

3. A multiple tubt fluid pump comprising, a support, a plurality of resiliently compressible tubes positioned in side by side relation on said support, tube holding members mounted on said support and spaced from each other longitudinally of the tubes, one of said tube holding members being disposed near the inlet ends of said tubes, each of said tube holding members comprising means for holding a plurality of the tubes in each of a plurality of layers, pressure rollers operable to compress said tubes progressively along their lengths for the pumping operation, and means adapted to be interposed between said layers of tubes and extending longitudinally and laterally thereof whereby pressure applied by said rollers on the tubes of one of said layers in the pumping operation is transmitted to said interposed means for applying pressure to the tubes of said other layer for the pumping operation of fluid through said last mentioned tubes, said pressure transmitting means comprising a flexible plate adapted to be removably secured to said one of said tube holding members.

4. A multiple tube fluid pump comprising, a support, a plurality of tubes positioned on said support in said side-by-side relation, tube holding members mounted on said support and spaced from each other longitudinally of the tubes, one of said tube holding members being disposed near the inlet ends of said tubes, each of said tube holding members comprising means for holding a plurality of the tubes in each of a plurality of layers, pressure rollers operable to compress said tubes progressively along their lengths for the pumping operation, and means adapted to be interposed between said layers of tubes and extending longitudinally and laterally thereof whereby pressure applied by said rollers on the tubes of one of said layers in the pumping operation is transmitted to said interposed means for applying pressure to the tubes of said other layer for the pumping operation of fluid through said last mentioned tubes, said pressure transmitting means comprising a flexible plate adapted to be removably secured to said one of said tube holding members, said flexible plate having an opening in which said one of the tube holding members is received for preventing movement of said plate longitudinally of said tubes during the operation of said pressure rollers.

5. A multiple tube fluid pump comprising, a support, a plurality of tubes positioned on said support in said sideby-side relation, tube holding members mounted on said support and spaced from each other longitudinally of the tubes, one of said tube holding members being disposed near the inlet ends of said tubes, each of said tube holding members comprising means for holding a plurality of the tubes in each of a plurality of layers, pressure rollers operable to compress said tubes progressively along their lengths for the pumping operation, and means adapted to be interposed between said layers of tubes and extending longitudinally and laterally thereof whereby pressure applied by said rollers on the tubes of one of said layers in the pumping operation is transmitted to said interposed means for applying pressure to the tubes of said other layer for the pumping operation of fluid through said last mentioned tubes, said pressure transmitting means comprising a flexible plate adapted to be removably secured to said one of said tube holding members, said tube holding members comprising a plurality of sets of tube-positioning grooves with the grooves of each set disposed laterally of each other and with the bottoms of grooves of the different sets in different planes, respectively, said flexible plate having an opening in which said one of the tube holding members is received for prevent-' ing movement of said plate longitudinally of said tubes during the operation of said pressure rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,865,303 Ferrari et al Dec. 23, 1958 

1. A MULTIPLE TUBE FLUID PUMP COMPRISING, A SUPPORT, A PLURALITY OF RESILIENTLY COMPRESSIBLE TUBES POSITIONED IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION ON SAID SUPPORT, PRESSURE ROLLERS OPERABLE TO COMPRESS SAID TUBES PROGRESSIVELY ALONG THEIR LENGTHS FOR THE PUMPING OPERATION, MEANS FOR POSITIONING A PLURALITY OF SAID TUBES IN SAID SIDE BY SIDE RELATION IN EACH OF A PLURALITY OF LAYERS, AND MEANS ADAPTED TO BE INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID LAYERS OF TUBES AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY AND LATERALLY THEREOF WHEREBY PRESSURE APPLIED BY SAID ROLLERS ON SAID TUBES OF ONE OF SAID LAYERS IN THE PUMPING OPERATION IS TRANSMITTED TO SAID INTERPOSED MEANS FOR APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE TUBES OF SAID OTHER LAYERS FOR THE PUMPING OPERATION OF FLUID THROUGH SAID LAST MENTIONED TUBES. 